388 Deportees Return to India from the US So Far, Reports Government to Parliament

Synopsis

As of May 21, 2025, a total of 388 deportees have returned to India from the US, including 333 through deportation flights to Amritsar and 55 via commercial flights to New Delhi. Concerns regarding humane treatment during deportation have been raised by the Indian government.

Key Takeaways

388 deportees have returned to India from the US.
333 deportees landed in Amritsar via three flights.
55 Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi from the US via Panama.
Punjab accounted for the highest number of deportees.
The Indian government is addressing concerns about deportee treatment in the US.

New Delhi, May 21 (NationPress) A total of 388 deportees have returned to India from the United States from January 2025 until now, with 333 of them arriving in Amritsar through three deportation flights and 55 Indian nationals landing in New Delhi from the US via Panama on commercial flights, as reported by the government in Parliament on Friday.

Among the 333 deportees who arrived in Amritsar on three separate deportation flights - on February 5, February 15, and February 16 - 126 individuals (representing 38 percent) were from Punjab, according to the data disclosed.

110 (or 33 percent) were from Haryana, while 74 hailed from Gujarat, 8 from Uttar Pradesh, and the remaining individuals came from Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, and Uttarakhand.

Of the 55 Indian deportees arriving in New Delhi from the US via Panama on commercial flights, 27 were from Punjab, while the rest included 22 from Haryana, 3 from Uttar Pradesh, 2 from Gujarat, and 1 from Rajasthan.

In a written response to a Lok Sabha inquiry, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh emphasized that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has vigorously expressed its concerns regarding the use of restraints on deportees.

The minister stated, "The Government of India is actively engaging with the US regarding the necessity for humane treatment of Indian nationals during deportation operations. The Ministry strongly voiced its concerns to US authorities about the treatment of deportees on the flight that landed on February 5, particularly regarding the use of shackles, especially on women.

The US's Standard Operating Procedure for organizing deportations, effective since November 2012, mandates the use of restraints on deportees," Singh explained in his response.

He also mentioned, "The US authorities have indicated that restraints are utilized to guarantee the safety and security of the mission. While women and minors are typically not shackled, the flight officer overseeing a deportation flight has the final authority on this matter."

In response to a query regarding the selection of Amritsar as the destination for deportation flights, the minister clarified that the landing site for any repatriation flight carrying deportees is determined by operational convenience, the designated route into Indian airspace, and the proximity to the final destinations of the arriving deportees.